I am in the market to buy a sporty car and have M3 on the list of cars to try.I have no intentions to try it on track.It would be purely a daily drivers car[irrespective of weather].I have test driven the 135i and liked it [though the lag was noticeable].I haven't test driven an M3 yet.I wanted to know if there anyone her who used the M3 just as a regular daily car.Pros and cons?

The others in the list would be probably a S4[sry I am not brand loyal yet].
TIA

IMO, the track is where the M3 (E9x) really comes into its own. Driving around town at low speeds, sometimes it feels a little "awkward". The M3 is a very good compromise, but there are much better daily drivers (especially in terms of comfort and fuel efficiency), The 135 is a fun car, but if you are shopping in the M3's price range, you could also consider the new 5-series.

I'm sure more than 98% of M3's sold will never see the track. In which case, the 335 with a tune is a better car.

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Let me get this straight... You are swapping out parts designed by some of the top engineers in the world because some guys sponsored by a company told you it's "better??" But when you ask the same guy about tracking, "oh no, I have a kid now" or "I just detailed my car." or "i just got new tires."

An M3 makes a fine daily driver, but I can't imagine driving it conservatively. You say you want a "sporty" car, but how are you going to drive it? Here's a barometer... If you never plan to disable traction control so you can power oversteer, then the M3 probably isn't your car. I want to track mine, but I'm not 100% sure I want to subject my baby to that. That said, I play with mine a lot... I go out with friends at night and tear around some industrial areas near my house. If you just want a cool looking car with some balls to get on every now and again, you would probably be a lot happier with a 335 or S4. If I was going to buy one of those, I would go S4, but there are a lot of cool (and significantly cheaper) sporty cars. My 02.

Never say never, but odds are good I won't be going to the track with my 3600lb sedan when I have a 1500lb racecar that turns similar lap times within inches of other cars just like it. It's a great daily driver for someone who appreciates cars that reward a skilled driver.

The CCA has a Las Vegas event coming in the first weekend in October. Mini vacation and track event. Doesn't get much better than that.

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Let me get this straight... You are swapping out parts designed by some of the top engineers in the world because some guys sponsored by a company told you it's "better??" But when you ask the same guy about tracking, "oh no, I have a kid now" or "I just detailed my car." or "i just got new tires."

I'm sure more than 98% of M3's sold will never see the track. In which case, the 335 with a tune is a better car.

I have no data on this, but my guess is that more than 2% get on a track over their first 5 years of life. But I agree is it considerably less than 1/4 will see a track when reasonably new. After 5-7 years, and 2nd or 3rd owner, I bet 1/2 will eventually see some track work, even if very limited.

I intend to take classes on proper performance driving (which will be on a track), but have no intention of doing anything more than just classes.

I am in the market to buy a sporty car and have M3 on the list of cars to try.I have no intentions to try it on track.It would be purely a daily drivers car[irrespective of weather].I have test driven the 135i and liked it [though the lag was noticeable].I haven't test driven an M3 yet.I wanted to know if there anyone her who used the M3 just as a regular daily car.Pros and cons?

The others in the list would be probably a S4[sry I am not brand loyal yet].
TIA

I'm now on my 4th M3 as a daily driver. I've never tracked any of them. I've used them year round with the aid of winter wheels and snow tires in Pennsylvania, and they do well as long as the snow is plowed or less than a few inches. I live in a small town, so bumper to bumper traffic isn't an issue, therefore I've continued to get manual transmissions--my newest car is a 2011Interlagos Blue e92 with ZCP, 6MT. I'm awaiting Alufelgen SF-71s 19" wheels in Hyperblack with Blizzack LM-60s for my winter wheels.

The only one I significantly modified was my 1st 1995 e36--put a Dinan chip and airbox etc and the engine blew with 1000 miles on it resulting in some anxious moments before BMW decided the mods had nothing to do with the engine failure and came through with a new car. I then drove my second e36 until I totalled it, made due with a 328 for 2 years, but it just wasn't the same. I then got my e46 which I drove for 9 years until replacing it with the e92.

I've enjoyed each one and each is a fairly practical daily driver--room enough for 4 people at least for short drives. Plenty of room in the trunk for golf clubs and a push cart, etc. You can certainly find cheaper cars to use as a daily driver, but I'm not sure that there are any others out there that I would enjoy driving as much on a daily basis.

IMO, if you're not going to take it to the track, you're wasting your money on an M3. There is really no way to use the car's performance on the street, and most of the time, it will be idling in traffic. So essentially, you would be paying a lot of money just for the M3 badge. I think a 335i would be a better daily driver.

I loved my 335i, and I love my M3, both for different reasons, and I used the 335i as a daily driver, as i do the M3. Perhaps the 335i is more "comfortable" for everyday use, certainly sporty, better mileage, but there's nothing like the thrill of seeing the M3 in the garage, starting it up, and roaring down the driveway. Daily driving the M3 is exhilarating, and makes the freeways of SoCal bearable. I don't intend to track it, but probably will do the performance classes sometime. Can't wait to take it on an extended road trip to Calgary this fall.

IMO, if you're not going to take it to the track, you're wasting your money on an M3. There is really no way to use the car's performance on the street, and most of the time, it will be idling in traffic. So essentially, you would be paying a lot of money just for the M3 badge. I think a 335i would be a better daily driver.

Nope don't agree.. It's not only about pure track performance. The whole driving experience is different. Also think of it this way, a car prepped for the track with it's better brakes and better suspension etc etc. would make a much safer street car.

Not going to even mention RFT's

Quote:

Originally Posted by elp_jc

Just the V8 'music' alone is reason to buy the M3 over other competitors, even if driven sedately most of the time. The power (and revs) is there when needed.

^^^
Agreed! I just have to add it also looks and drives better than the others and much better than a 335 (no offense 335 fans )

I have a 335 and trust me even that car as a "daily" driver is too much. I have mine barely over 2300 miles now and finally today I said fck it and tried to drive it the way it was meant to be. It was literally a matter of seconds between me flooring the gas on 2nd gear and my wife literally smacking me in the head and I was well over 100 mph on 3rd gear. The engine roars, the exhaust is phenomenal. I pull my windows down and you can hear the echo and when you do floor the gas and turbos are enabled, it's just purely amazing.

Most of the complaints from M3 drivers regarding 335 has one underlying common factor - the transmission. Unfortunately, most people drive automatic these days and when they compare the two cars, they make the greatest assumption ever - anyone driving one would be driving automatic. If you are going to go for automatic, the M3's DCT is apparently far better and that explains comments such as "better response". But put one right next to each other, in traffic - < 80 mph, drive them both manual, I guarantee you the 335 will drive, feel, sound as good as if not better than the M3. I test drove one myself (which was a DCT, I will test drive a manual next week).

In addition, 335 is very good with handling steep curves or breaking. It has very good tires (225) but not as good as M3 (245 or 265). It's interior is identical to M3, and it's exterior is also very nice. 335 looks just as dominant as the M3. Just because I say all this doesn't mean I agree with it, but it doesn't change the fact that it's the reality. The reality is, drive an M3 and a 335 in a traffic in highway everyday, there is a good chance you won't be able to utilize more than %30 of the 335's power let alone the M3.

Look, nobody can argue that 335 is faster than M3. It's not. M3 is a better car, obviously, otherwise why would it cost nearly 30 grand more than the 335, but the real question you should ask is if it's the right car for you. The only thing you will get out of paying the extra for M3, if it's only for daily driving is the looks (which is amazing) and the sound. But if you are going to track, or if you are involved in drag racing, or if you have bunch of enthusiast friends and you will be joining a car club, the M3 is probably good for you. Finally, if you are in a very good shape in terms of financial means and you have millions sitting in the bank, be my guest, get the M3. In that case, every minute you spend here without driving one is a minute wasted

M3 is only $20k more than 335i, not $30k like you said... just for the record...

I had 335i 6MT Sport for 3 years here in NY, and drove the car everyday like there is no tomorrow... 1st gear- 57mph, 2nd gear- 77mph, 3rd- 117mph... everyday! 335i was the whole lot of fun and I thought it's the best than anything out there for DD... 335i is fast indeed, maybe even too fast sometimes... I was enjoying my 335i everyday and so on, untill..... untill I drove an M3... After driving the M3, I didn't even want to get back into my beloved 335i... and once it was time for me to let go of test driven M3, and I got back into my 335i> it was a major disappointment... 335i just didn't seem the same anymore,- too soft? How could anyone even compare the 2 cars? These 2 are entirely different cars... M3 is a very special machine and is a real treat and fun to drive...

"M3 is a high performance race car that is street legal" > 335i is a very fast turbo engine car.

This line,- "M3 is a high performance race car that is street legal" ,- was said by BMW M Division Rep as he was giving a lecture on M3 and DCT at M-POWER TOUR event...

If one were buying a car predominantly for the track, there are better (lighter) options than the M3, though by no means is the M3 a bad choice in that respect. However, the biggest appeal of the M3 is that it's a jack of all trades (except fuel economy), and it's great on the track and on the road.